A Hero's Death
by Dreamer of Darkness
Summary: Naruto has always wanted to be remembered as a hero. What will he do when his dream becomes immpossible and how will his friends react? character suicide please read and review! last chapter now up!
1. A Hero's Death

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...yet.But I'm working on it. **

**Basically, the first sentence just popped into my head, and anyone who knows me knows that when an idea pops into my head I have to write it or it'll keep bothering me.I know it's really short and I apologize. My one-shots usually are. Please review!! I live for reviews!**

A Hero's Death

This wasn't how it was supposed to end. I was supposed to go out in a blaze of glory, hundreds of people watching and maybe cheering me on. Afterwards they would mourn for days, eventually celebrating what I had done. I always wanted to be a hero and die saving others.

Why, you ask?

_Simple_.

If I died as a hero, then I would be remembered. I've been hated my entire life. I've been ignored by everyone around me; even my so-called friends only pay attention to me when it's convenient for them.

They take my presence for granted, assuming that I'll always be there to cheer them up.It never occurred to them that I might need someone to help me get over my sadness, that I might have my own problems. Not me, not Uzumaki Naruto, the happy, hyperactive knucklehead.

All they ever did was complain to me, sometimes about others, sometimes about me. Sometimes it was all I could do to keep myself from yelling "You think you have problems? You have no idea what I've gone through!"

They never saw through the mask, not even Iruka- sensei. It wouldn't have been hard. Anyone who actually took a minute to look at me would have seen that something was wrong, would have seen the ever-present sadness just below the surface. The problem is they would never take the time.

I wanted to be remembered in death because I couldn't be noticed in life. I always thought the only way I could do this was by dieing in battle, sacrificing my life to save thousands of others. Now I have another way to do that. I'll never be remembered as a hero, not now that Sasuke is Hokage. But I can be remembered as what I really am: a lonely, desperate boy who was punished merely for being a victim of fate.

That's why I'm sitting on the floor of my cramped bathroom, my feet curled up against my chest. The kunai glints dully in the dim light. This kunai is special; it's the first one I ever received. This is the kunai on which I swore to succeed in my dream so many years ago. It's fitting, really, that the same blade that began my dream would be the one to end it. Oh, the irony.

Well, I guess I've sat here long enough. It's time to carry through with my plan. I drag the kunai slowly across my wrists, the blade digging deeply into my skin. The blood flows out of the wounds freely. It looks like red rivers as it drips onto the floor, carrying my life, my hopes, my dreams, with it.

_Drip, drip_

_Drip, drip_

I stare at it as if hypnotized, my eyes slowly following the crimson liquid. I think about the note I left explaining why I did this. I wonder who will find it. Maybe Sasuke. I can see the look on his face now.

_Heh, the stupid teme. _

He'll be surprised; they all will. But it won't be as much of a surprise to the adults who know the truth.

I begin to feel the blackness slowly creeping in on me, blocking out more and more of my thoughts. _This isn't how I wanted it to end. This isn't how I wanted it to end at all. But, maybe this is a more fitting death. _I think as the darkness finally takes over and I fall into blissful unconsciousness.

**Once again, please review. I'll appreciate it even if it's just to point out something that's wrong or needs improvement. I'm thinking about doing a second chapter in the POV of whoever finds him. If you think I should please tell me and mention which character should find him. If more people think it should stay a one-shot I'll leave it as it is. Thank you for reading!!!**


	2. Aftermath: Sasuke

**I had a little trouble, but I did it!. I had requests mainly for Sasuke or Iruka, so I did one in the POV of each. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME STORY!!!! They have completely different plots. You can read both or pick which person you would rather find him, and then read that one. I did this one without any real inspiration so I'm sorry if it sucks. It's short, but longer than the last one. I might add to it and make it longer if I can. Pleasw review!! I barely get any reviews. **

Sasuke walks through the streets of Konoha, ignoring the people bowing to him. He doesn't care about them. He's busy looking for Naruto. The dobe hadn't shown up at Ichiraku's, where team seven met every week. Now Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi are looking for him. They look everywhere they can think of on their way to his apartment.

The door is locked when they get to his home, but Sasuke has keys to every house in Konoha. What they see inside surprises them. There are ramen cups and milk cartons everywhere. The furniture is torn up and thrown about the apartment. There are holes in the walls that appear to have been caused by kunais and shurikun.

They split up to search the fair-sized apartment. Sasuke sees a door on the far wall and walks up to it, assuming it leads to a bedroom. He opens the door expecting to find Naruto asleep on the bed, but instead sees nothing. He notices a pile of balled- up paper on the desk. When he walks closer he sees that there is an envelope on it with their names on it. He opens it with a sense of dread and reads it.

He stands there for what feels like an eternity, the shock of what he just read temporarily paralyzing him. The letter falls from his hands, waking him from his trance. He runs to the bathroom and stops in the doorway as he realizes he's too late. He falls to his knees at the grisly sight before him. His grief consumes him until he is no longer aware of his surroundings.

Laid before him is Naruto's body, a pool of blood surrounding his head like a demented halo. His body is pale and lifeless. He has been here for at least an hour. Instead of his usual orange jumpsuit he is dressed entirely in black. His headband has been thrown aside and a slash drawn through the middle. It signifies not only that he separated himself from the village, but also that he had given up on his dream.

Sasuke realizes this as he stares at Naruto, not fully seeing him. _Me. This is all because of me. I destroyed his dream, his reason for living. I killed him. _

_But why? Why did he do it? He could have become Hokage after me. It's not like I plan to keep this position for long._ He tells himself. But deep down he knows that he is wrong. He would never have given Naruto the title of Hokage. The only reason he is even thinking about it is because Naruto's dead.

Sakura runs into the room, the note in her hand and a panicked expression on her face. She stops midstep when she sees Naruto's corpse. Her hand flies to her mouth and her eyes begin to water. She walks to his body and falls to the ground. She places his head in her head and cradles it as she cries, her body racked with sobs. Sasuke doesn't even react to this.

_So she knows about the Kyuubi. She must really care for him if she's still sad about his death._ That part of the note was no surprise to Sasuke. He was told about the Kyuubi being sealed into Naruto when he had become Hokage. He hadn't been as accepting as Sakura.

He had hated Naruto for it and was disgusted whenever he saw everyone treating him like a normal person. Naruto had been gaining the acceptance of the villagers. When they saw how Sasuke acted towards Naruto they began treating him the way they had when he was little. _I ruined his last chance to gain the acceptance of the villagers. Not only did I crush his dream, I also crushed his hope. That was what he said pushed him over the edge._

It was true. Naruto had written that he was tired of trying to gain respect he would never have. He was tired of pretending to be happy all the time. He had killed himself because no one truly cared about him, really knew him.

Sasuke is only faintly aware of being moved out of the bathroom by Kakashi. He sees Tsunade rush in but knows that even she can't bring the dead back to life. He notices that Sakura is by the bed, being comforted by Iruka. The chunin has tears trailing down his face. He is thankful that Kakashi had the sense to go get help because he has no idea what to do.

The truth of what happened finally begins to set in and Sasuke feels tears running down his face. He doesn't wipe them away. He can't believe he'll never see Naruto again. He used to be annoyed by the sound of Naruto's voice, but now he would give anything to hear it again. He would never see a streak of orange running around the village and pulling pranks on everyone, including him. He would never see Naruto at Ichiraku's, eating all the ramen he could get his hands on. He would never see those happy cerulean eyes, or that carefree smile.

_But it wasn't a real smile._ He told himself. _It was a lie. He was pretending the whole time. _No matter what he thinks it all comes back to one thing.

**It was his fault.**

He should have seen through Naruto's ruse. Instead he had fallen for it like everyone else. He is the Hokage, the greatest ninja in Konoha, able to defeat any opponent and see through any disguise, any lie.

Yet he had failed to see the truth. He even has the Sharigan on his side, and he hadn't seen it. He had let Naruto die.

He would blame himself countless times for Naruto's death in the future, as would Sakura. They held a funeral for Naruto two days after his death. Everyone in the village attended.

Although their tears dried and they moved on with their lives, they never forgot him. The village always seemed empty after his death. The villagers felt guilty for treating him so harshly.

No one was surprised when the Hokage ordered a monument made in his honor. He explained that Naruto was a hero for holding the nine-tailed fox inside him. No one disagreed with this.

Although he didn't die a hero's death, he did die as a hero. In the end, Naruto got his wish. He would be remembered forever as a hero.

**I hope it wasn't too bad. I think I messed the tenses up but I tried to keep it straight. I don't know how long it will take for me to get the Iruka one done but I'll do it as fast as I can! **

**See that little, purple button in the corner? Everytime someone clicks it I'll write a little faster. **


	3. Aftermath: Iruka

**I'm reposting this chapter. I didn't realize that the one I had posted before wasn't spellchecked until I had already turned off my computer. When I went back to put this version up my document manager was screwing up and wouldn't let me submit any documents for about a week. Sorry about that! I would once again like to point out that this chapter and the last one are different stories. They are meant to be two separate endings for the first chapter. **

Iruka smiled to himself as he stepped out of the Hokage's office. He had spent several hours in a chunin meeting and was anxious to get some fresh air. He was thinking about what he wanted to do when his stomach growled loudly. He decided he wouls get some ramen and began towards the restaurant before thinking that Naruto might like to join him. The blond hadn't had much to enjoy the past three months. After Tsunade's death and Sasuke's promotion to Hokage, Naruto had been understandably upset.

He walked the short distance to Naruto's apartment and knocked on the door. He waited for several minutes before knocking a second time. He began to wonder if Naruto had gone out when he still received no answer. He decided to search the village.

He spent a little over an hour scouring the village for any sign of the hyper shinobi with no luck. He asked any of Naruto's friends that he saw if they knew where he was but they all said no. He began to panic when he realized no one had seen Naruto all day. He rushed back to the apartment and knocked, hoping against all odds that the blond would open the door. When he realized there would be no answer he slammed into the door and sent it flying off its hinges.

He was appalled at the state of the apartment. Naruto's home was in one of the worse parts of Konoha but had always been in good shape when Iruka visited. Now the furniture was in pieces, there was garbage strewn across the floor, and numerous kunai and shurikun were embedded so deep in the walls they would never be removed.

He stood there for what felt like an eternity before he was spurred to action by a foul stench, one that he was all too familiar with. He had smelt it many times on the battlefield and had many memories of trying to rid himself of the unwelcome odor after returning from missions.

**It was the smell of blood.**

He followed the scent across the room and through the hall before stopping in the bathroom doorway. He almost threw up at the sight of what awaited him. He had seen blood many times but not in such a large amount and not from someone so close to him.

Naruto was sprawled on the floor. His hair was red on one side from the blood he laid in, as were his clothes. Iruka could clearly see the long gashes on each wrist and instantly realized what had happened.

_'Why would he kill himself? He was upset about not becoming Hokage, but if he was this depressed he should have come to me. He must have known that I would help him.'_

He moved forward on shaky legs and kneeled beside the body. He stroked the sun-colored locks as tears fell from his eyes. They fell to the floor and mixed with the blood, creating small, pink rivers between the tiles. He noticed that Naruto's headband was missing and located it a short distance away from the body.

He picked it up and examined it. His calloused fingers, scarred from years as a ninja, ran over the smooth surface until they stopped on the slash going across the center.

_'Why would he do this to his headband? He treasured it more than anything. This was a symbol of everything he had and wanted to achieve.'_

Iruka was perhaps the only person who knew the state of depression Naruto must have been in to desecrate his forehead protector. He held it to his chest as he cried; whether he sat there for minutes or hours he did not know. He eventually stood to leave the room. He couldn't stand the sight of Naruto's bloody corpse any longer.

He was going to leave and report Naruto's death to the Hokage, but he decided to look for a note first. He had to find out what would cause the closest thing to a son he had to kill himself. He searched for five minutes before he came across a sealed envelope on Naruto's desk. He opened it with trembling hands. He had to wipe the tears from his eyes before he could see clearly enough to read.

**'To whoever finds this letter,**

**You're probably wondering why I killed myself. The thing is I finally realized the truth. I realized how pathetic my dreams are. All I ever wanted was to be loved and respected, a hero. Because of the Kyuubi I'll never be able to achieve that. I can't gain the respect of one person, let alone an entire village. I can't be remembered the way I always wanted, so I chose to be remembered this way. I'm more likely to be loved if I die this way, for killing the nine-tailed fox along with myself.**

**Some of you will be shocked, but you really shouldn't be. I've been considering this for a long time. When Sasuke became Hokage I decided it was the right thing to do. I've always felt this way. I just didn't let the mask down until now.**

**I'm sorry if my decision causes you any trouble, but this was the only option left.**

**Good-bye,**

**Uzumaki Naruto'**

He read the note several times. He stopped only when the letters were smeared to the point of illegibility by his tears. He placed it gently on the desk, along with the headband that had been in his hand the whole time.

_'So that's why he did it. He believed his dreams were impossible and that he had no purpose in life. How could I have missed it? I thought I was closer to him than anyone else but I didn't see what was going through his mind. No wonder he wanted to die. He didn't think anyone could or would help him.'_

He slowly walked to the front door, not paying any heed to the trash surrounding him. As he opened the door he glanced a final time at the apartment. He jumped onto the rooftop and made his way towards the Hokage building. It was strange to think that only an hour or so ago he was smiling as he exited the building, the biggest worry on his mind what he wanted for lunch. He laughed at the thought, almost hysterically. He was glad no one was around to hear him or they'd probably lock him up in a mental asylum.

He knocked before entering the Hokage's office. Sasuke was sitting in his chair with his back to the door. Iruka couldn't help but think that that was Naruto's rightful place. He had been one of the few people who had wanted Naruto to be chosen as the sixth Hokage. The other ones were the rest of the rookie 9, minus Sakura and Kakashi, and Gai's team. Without Tsunade there to pick her successor the responsibility of electing a new leader had fallen to the elders. They had been completely against Naruto and chose Sasuke, despite his traitorous past.

"What do yo-"Sasuke stopped midsentence when he saw the tear streaks on Iruka's face and the blood staining his clothes.

"Naruto. H-He killed himself."

As soon as he finished the sentence he began crying again. Unlike last time these were loud, body racking sobs. He was distantly aware of Sasuke summoning the rest of the Konoha group and someone-he thought it was Hinata-trying to comfort him. He heard them crying once they had been told about what had happened.

Someone was trying to help him out of the room, but they only got a few feet past the thresh hold before the stress and shock of the day caught up with him and he passed out.

The next thing he was aware of was lying in his bed as he stared at the ceiling. He heard the door open and pretended to be asleep. He didn't feel like talking right now. He heard two people talking and recognized them as Kurenai and Kakashi.

"There's nothing we can do for him. We might as well leave. Besides, I don't think he's going to wake up today." said Kakashi.

"I hate to admit it but you're right. We'll come back tomorrow to check on him." agreed Kurenai.

They left, and once Iruka was sure they were gone he slipped out from under the covers. He walked quietly over to the window. He leaned heavily on the sill and stared out at the millions of stars. He had many memories of stargazing with Naruto. Moat people would laugh at the thought of Naruto being calm and peaceful, but Iruka knew better. They had spent hours in silence, content with each other's presence and the twinkling lights above them. One of the reasons they were so close was the fact that they could be themselves around each other.

_'Apparently he wasn't showing his true self." _thought Iruka bitterly.

He looked back down to the cold stone beneath his fingers, blocking the painful thoughts and memories from his mind. He walked to his dresser and pulled a kunai from his weapons pouch on it. He stared at the lethal blade, contemplating following in Naruto's footsteps.

He made his decision. Quickly, giving himself no time to reconsider what he was about to do, he dragged the kunai across his throat. Blood sprayed from his neck in an arc. It splashed across the wall and ceiling, contrasting oddly with the stark whiteness of the room. He stared at it as he slowly slipped into oblivion, never to wake again.

**I hope you enjoyed it! Someone commented on the fact that Tsunade is dead in this chapter but alive in the last one. That's because they're separate stories. Please don't comment on something because it contradicts what I said in the second chapter! However, if it contradicts something in the first chapter please tell me. Reviews are welcome no matter how long or short! **


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